Wheel-pit drop table



Apr. 3, 1923. v1,450,711? S. OTS

WHEEL PIT DROP TABLE original Filed sept. 6, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 1 pr.. 3, 1923. l-5UH2 s. oTls WHEEL PIT DROP TABLE original Filed sept. es, 1921 5 Sheets-shem- 2 JOL f 72206/2225 @220er 0276,

Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

SPENCER OTIS, lOF BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL-PIT DROP TABLE.

Application led September 6, 1921, Serial No. 498,940. Renewed February 21, 1923.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SPENCER O'rls, a citizen of the United States, residing at Barrington, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Pit Drop Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a table intended forvraising and lowering an object supported thereon through a vertical space greater than that which is normally afforded for accommodatingv the vertical dimension of the apparatus employed for developing the up and down movements ofthe table; for instance, a table designed for use in a wheel pitwhere it is dem'rable to adaptthe table to travel horizontally to and from the pit ina tunnel of considerably less height than the range of vertical movement to be developed in the drop table; and .the

invention proceeds upon the principle Iof having a plurality of elevating means, namely, a primary elevator which imparts vertical movement directly to the table, and,

a secondary elevating means which supports and imparts bodily vertical movement to the primary elevating means while leaving the latter free to execute movement. y

According to'one feature in the preferred method of realizing the object of the in-V vention and of embodying its principle in operative form,'a lurality of sets of screws are employed for t e primary and secondary elevators, the primary screws with means through which they raise and lower the table being supported upon the secondary screws through means of a platformy which the sec,

ondary screws are adapted to raise and lower,` and the sets of screws belng' connected with the table and platform, respectively,

through the medium of nuts which support said members.

According to another feature in the preferred embodiment vof the invention, the driving mechanism for developing screw action is mounted upon the platform and imparts rotation to the supporting nuts of said platform while its screws, which constitute the secondary elevating means, remain fixed against rotation, and imparts rotation to the screws of the table or primary elevating means while the nuts which support the table remain fixed; suitable clutches being its own elevating provided for throwing the driving mechanism into and out of gear with the primary and secondary elevating meansat will; and the whole arrangement being such thatv when the platform is loweredl on the secondary screws and the table is lowered on the primary screws the vertical dimension of the apparatus will be limited to the height of a single set of screws, whereas the range of vertical movement will be equal to the sum of the two sets of screws.

Still another feature in the preferred embodiment of the invention consists in utilizing the motor of the driving mechanism for propelling a truck upon which the whole apparatus is portably mounted, as for instance, by having the motor', which is mounted upon the platform, brought into driving connection with the truck when the motor is in its lowermost position.`

. vReferring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs Figures land 2 are, respectively,a side l showing the elevation and an end view of an embodiment of the invention in which the primary and secondary screws' are placed in alignment across'the front and back ends of the truck, and means are provided for controlling a hatch Vby the up and' down movements of the platform. V

It has heretofore been" proposed to raise and lower parts of locomotives, for instance. a pair of driving wheels A supported through the medium of rail sections b, upon girdes B which extend across the upper end yof a wheel pit," and to releasably support' the girders such as B through means 'of sharing bracesC pivoted at D and adapted to be introduced beneath orV withdrawn from the girders B through' the medium of controlling lever E, thrust rod F connected to one of the'braces, a reversing lever G having a' fixed fulcrum g, and a connecting link H` 'extending from the lever G to the other brace C.y Such an arrangement is not claimed in the present case.

In order to raiseand lower-machine parts,

for instance a pair of wheels such as A, the

' to develop a lift in addition to that which -is imparted bodily to them. To adapt the screws 11 to raise the table 10, the latter is provided with nuts 14, and the platform 13 is similarly sustained upon the screws 12 through the medium of nuts 15. Il'n order to develop screw action in the primary anfl secondary elevating screws, the former are provided with pinions 16 and the latter with pinions 17, and to permit. driving means for all these pinions to be mounted upon the platform 13, pinions 16 are fixed upon the screws, 11 so as to rotate said screws when the pinions are driven, while the nuts 14 are held against rotation; whereas pinions 17 are mounted upon the nuts 15 andcause said nuts to rotate, while screws 12 are held stationary on the base upon which the elevating mechanism is mounted, preferably a truck 18 portably mounted through the medium of wheels 19 which, in the instance shown in IFigures 1 to 3, run upon tracks 2O to and from a position beneath the pit. To drive the pinions 16, 17 any suitable means may be employed, but l prefer the arrangement shown in Figure 4, according to which a centrally disposed master gear 21 is connected to drive radial shafts 22 which in turn are connected through bevel gears 23 with the pinions 17 and, through gear wheels 24, 25, 26 are adapted to drive the pinions 1G. Bevel gears 23 and gear wheels 24 are mounted upon sliding sleeves 27 .connected by thrust rods 28 with a controlling wheel 29, so that the bevel gears 23 and gear wheels 24 can -be moved into and out of mesh with the parts which. they respectively drive at will, or left in a neutral position so that none of the driving parts is rotated.

In thisarrangement master Wheel 21 can be made to work either the primary elevato or the secondary elevator at will. 1

To drive the master wheel 21 an electric motor 30 may be mounted upon the apparatus, preferably upon the under side of the platform 13, and brought into driving connection with said master wheel through' a suitable reducing gear 31, 32, 33.

In order that the electric motor 30 may be employed to propel the truck 18, it is provided with a clutch 34 brought into mesh by' the lowering of the platform 13 and connected through gearing 35, 36 with a counter-shaft 37 that may be made to propel the truck in any suitable manner. Truck 18 is preferably provided with an electric circuit ycontroller 38. Current to supply motor 30 will be supplied through a drag cable, trolley or other suitable system of distribution. Bevel pinion 35 is carried by sleeve 39 which slides upon the shaft 40 under control of a lever 41 so that in running the motor to raise the platform 13, the car will not be moved from its selected position while the clutch 34 is disengaging.

ln operation, the apparatus is located accuratel beneath a pit to be served, with the tagle Vand platform in the positions shown in Figure 3, bevel gear 35 is thrown out so that the motor 30 can be driven without displacing the car, and bevel gears 23 are thrown into mesh with pinions 17 to revolve the nuts 15 and raise the platform. When the platform has reached the upper limit of its movement, the wheel 29 is revolved to retract rods 28 and throw out the driving connections 23, 17, and throw in the drive 24, 25, 26, 16. The motor is now driven until table 10 is raised above platform 14 the distance necessary to com-v plete the elevatin effect required and bring the girders B wit their rails b in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, whereupon stays C are swung into position beneath the girders. If desired, the table 10'and after it the platform 13 may be lowered and the apparatus removed 'to serve another pit. Or, before lowering the table and platform a pair of wheels may be delivered upon the rails b, as, for instance, by driving a locomotive over the pit and releasing a pair of its wheels from their bearings, after which the wheels maybe lowered with Vthe table and platform and the elevating apparatus used as a means of conveying them to the wheel shop where they are repaired or replaced, the operation being subsequently reversed when it is desired to restore a pair of wheels to the locomotive.

From so much of the description it will be seen that the elevating mechanism, vwhile having the capacity of raising and lowering wheels to and from the level of the upper end of the pit, reduces its vertical dimension and lowers a pair of wheels resting upon its table to a level so far below the upper track surface that the apparatus with the wheels can be conveyed horizontally through a tunnel of comparatively low vertical dimension, and this result is attained mainly by having v the elevating screws work upwardly through the platform and table, the secondary screws being supported on the carriage and eX- tended through both the platform and the table, and the primary screws being supported on the platform and extended upwardly through the table.

It will also be seen that the motor 30, which is used' for developing elevating acscrews but remain stationary with reference to the mountings of the primary screws the nuts 15 are caused to rotate in the plat orm 13 while the screws 12 remain stationary,

and the screws 11 are caused to rotate while their nuts 14 remain stationary in the table 10.

The arrangement shown in Figures l, 2, and 3 contemplates removing the wheels from the table by a crane or else by re-elevating the table to the level of the wheel house floor, the positions of the primary screws 11 being such as to prevent rolling the wheels off the table when the latter is at its lower level. But according to Figures 5 and 6 the primary screws 11a are aligned with the secondary screws 12a across the ends of: the apparatus, so that a pair of wheels may be rolled olf the table while the latter is at its lower level.

In Figures 5 and 6 are also shown plane surface traversing wheels 42, one air of which is mounted through the me inm of steering knuckles 42a, thereby adapting the carriage to be traversed in any direction over a smooth surface; a steering wheel 38a being provided for directing the course of the carriage. .Laterally and longitudinally defined depressions 43 are provided in the plane surface of the pit for accurately locating the carriage in service position.

Also shown in Figures 5 and 6 is a 4pair of hatch doors 44 hinging at 45 and having crank arms 46 controlled by opening and closing toggles 47, the knuckles of which are raised by upstanding posts 48 Amounted on platform 13 and working through recesses 49 in the ends of the table 10, so that as the platform 13 reaches its upper limit of movement, the toggles will have been moved to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5, and the hatch doors will be held open so that table `10 may then move upward. After the table has been again lowered and the platform begins to move downwardly, the deflected ends 48a of post 48 will engage the embracing lugs 47a of the toggles and start the closing movement of the hatch doors 44, completion of which will be effected by gravity.

I claim:

1. In an elevating apparatus, a table, primary elevating mechanism adapted to raise and lower said table, a platform upon which said primary elevating mechanism is mounted, and a secondar elevating mechanism adapted to raise an lower said platform.

2. In an elevating apparatus, a table, primary elevatin mechanism adapted to raise and lower sai table, a platform upon which said primary elevating mechanism is mounted, and a secondary elevating mechanism adapted to raise and lower said latform; said secondary elevating mechanism comprising screws projecting upward past the level of the lower limit of movement of the table.

3. In an elevating apparatus, a table, primaryelevating mechanism adapted to raise and lower said table, a platform upon which said primary elevating mechanism is mounted, and a secondary elevating mechanism adapted to raise and lower said-platform; said secondary elevating mechanism comprising screws projecting upward .past the level of the lower limits of movement of the table; and said primary elevating mecha; nism comprising screws mounted upon the pltform and projecting upwardly past said ta le.

4. In an elevating apparatus, a table, a primary elevating mechanism adapted to raise and lower said table, a platform upon which said rimary elevating mechanism is mounted, a ase located beneath said platform, and screws mounted upon said base and projecting upwardly through the platform and past the lower limit of movement v of the table.

5. In an elevating apparatus, a base, a .10o platform over said base, a table over said platform, elevating mechanism projecting upwardlyfrom said base past both t-he platform and the table and having elevating connection with said platform, and elevating mechanism` mounted upon said platform and projecting upwardly past and having elevatingconnection with said table.

6. In an elevating apparatus, a base, a platform over said base, a table over said platform, elevating mechanism projecting upwardly from said base past both the platform and the table and having elevating connection with said platform, and elevating mechanism mounted upon said platform and projecting upwardly past and having` elevating connection with said table; a common actuating means being provided for developing elevating' action in both of said elevating mechanisms.

7. In an elevating apparatus, a base, a platform over said base, a table over said platform, elevating mechanism projecting upwardly from `said base past both the platform and the table and having elevating connection with said platform, and elevating mechanism mounted upon said platform and projecting upwardly past and having elevating connection with said table; actuating means for both said elevating mechanisms being mounted upon and partaking of the vertical movements of said platform.

8. In an elevating apparatus, a base, a platform over said base, a table over said platform, elevating mechanism projecting upwardly from said base past both the platform and the table and having elevating connection with said platform, and elevating mechanism mounted upon said platform and projecting upwardly past and having elevating connection with said table; said elevating mechanisms comprising each a set of screws, each of which sets is stationary with relation to the member upon which i't is mounted; and said elevating connections comprising nuts fitted to the threads of the screws and connected with the member to be elevated.

9. In an elevating apparatus, a base, a set of screws arising from said base, a platform carrying nuts fitted to the threads of said screws, a set of screws mounted upon said platform, a table having nuts receiving said last-named screws, and means mounted on the platform for developing relative rotation between all the screws and their respective nuts.

10. In an elevating apparatus, a table, table nuts mounted in said table, table screws working in said table nuts, a platform on which said table screws are stepped with freedom to rotate, platform nuts rotatably mounted in said platform, platform screws coacting with the platform nuts, a base on which the plat-form screws are mounted, and actuating means carried by said platform adapted to impart rotation to the table screws and to the platform nuts.

11. In an elevating apparatus, a table, table nuts mounted in said table, table screws 'working in said table nuts, a platform on which said table screws are stepped with freedom to rotate, platform nuts rotatably mounted in said platform, platform `screws coacting with the platform nuts, a base on .which the platform screws are mounted, and

actuating means carried by said latforrn adapted to impart rotation to the tab e screws and to the platform nuts; means being porvided for establishing and releasing driving connection between said actuating means and said table screws and said platform nuts at will.

12. In combination with a wheel pit, a subchamber from which said pit opens having a horizontal dimension extending transversely beyond the confines of the pit and with a substantially plane bottom surface, an' elevating mechanism adapted to operate upward through said pit, and a self directing wheeled carriage supporting said elevating mechanism and adapted to traverse the bottom surface ofsaid chamber.

13. In combination with a wheel pit, a

sub-chamber from which said pit opens having a horizontal dimension extending transversely beyond the confines of the pit and with a substantially plane bottom surface, an elevating mechanism adapted to operate upward through said pit, and a self directing Wheeled carriage supporting said elevating mechanism and adapted to traverse the bottom service of said chamber; said bottom surface having a depression in its traversed surface adapted to coact with said carriage to define-the position of the latter in vertical alignment with the pit.

14. In combination with a wheel pit, a sub-chamber from which said pit opens having a horizontal dimension extending trans versely beyond the confines of the pit and with a substantially plane bottom surface an elevating mechanism adapted to. operate upward through said pit, and a self directing wheeled carriage supporting said elevating mechanism and adapted to traverse the bottom surface of said chamber; said elevating mechanism being adapted to contract its vertical dimension within the planes between the upper and lower surfaces of said chamber.

15. In combination with surface trackage, a wheel pit beneath said surface trackage, a sub-chamber with which said pit communicates having its roof a substantial distance beneath said track surface and having a floor surface beneath said roof, and a carriage adapted to traverse said floor surface and carrying elevating mechanism adapted to be located by the carriage beneath said pit and to extend upward thereinto; said elevating mechanism comprising elevating means restricted in vertical dimension to the space between said roof and Said floor surface, and a table adapted to be projected beyond said elevating mechanism into said pit and to be withdrawn from said pit within the vertical confines of the elevating mechanism.

16. In combination with a surface track, a wheel pit extending downwardly therefrom, a sub-chamber communicating with and extending laterally from said wheel pit and having a roof a substantial distance below the track surface and a plane ioor surface adapted for travel of the self directing vehicle in any direction thereover, a self directing carriage adapted to traverse said floor surface, and elevating mechanism mounted on said carriage and adapted to be projected upwardly beyond said sub-chamber and through the pit to the track surface, and to be retracted below the horizontal plane of the roof of said sub-chamber.

17. In combination with a wheel pit, hatch doors in said wheel pit, a sub-chamber beneath said wheel pit, a carriage adapted to traverse said sub-chamber to and from a position beneath said Wheel pit, elevating mechanism on said carriage adapted to be projected upwardly into the wheel pit, and means carried by said elevating mechanism for operating said hatch doors.

18. In combination with a. Wheel pit, hatch doors in said wheel pit, a sub-chamber beneath said wheel pit, a carriage adapted to traverse said sub-chamber to and from a osition beneath said wheel pit, elevating mechanism on said carriage adapted to be projected upwardly into the wheel pit, and means carried by said elevating mechanism for operating said hatch doors; said lastnamed means comprising a toggle lever carried by the hatch doors and a projection' on the elevating mechanism coacting with said toggle lever.

19. In combination with a wheel pit,

hatch doors in said wheel pit, a sub-chamber beneath said wheel pit, a carriage adapted to traverse said sub-chamber to and from a position beneath said wheel pit, elevating mechanism on said carriage adapted to be projected upwardly into the wheel pit, and means carried by said elevating mechanism for operating said hatch doors; said last` named means comprising a toggle lever connected with said hatch doors, a lifting post mounted upon said elevating mechanism, and a retracting lug carried by the toggle lever and interengaging with said post in the direction to restore the toggle lever by the downward movement of the post.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 2nd day of September, 1921.

SPENCER OTIS. 

